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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28250433">Winter in Wyoming</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissedbydragonfire/pseuds/kissedbydragonfire'>kissedbydragonfire</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Timeless (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Garcy Secret Santa 2020, Post-Defeat of Rittenhouse (Timeless), garcy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:49:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,238</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28250433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissedbydragonfire/pseuds/kissedbydragonfire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the defeat of Rittenhouse, Lucy begins to notice Flynn pulling away from her.  Determined not to let the man she loves walk out of her life for good, Lucy seeks Flynn out to confront his strange behavior and confess her true feelings.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Garcia Flynn/Lucy Preston</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Timeless Secret Santa Fic Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Winter in Wyoming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Even_In_Winter/gifts">Even_In_Winter</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Surprise! I'm your Garcy secret Santa for 2020! Hope you enjoy this.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>It’s been three months since she’s laid eyes on him and two weeks since they’ve spoken on the phone.  He’s been pulling away from her more and more recently and she doesn’t know why.  She misses him like the desert misses the rain.  It’s almost as if he took a part of her when he left. </p><p>The unending ache for Garcia Flynn is precisely the reason she’s driving all the way to Wyoming the day before Christmas.  Whether he likes it or not, she’s showing up on his doorstep to find out what’s going on once and for all.   Not that she knows where his doorstep is.  The last she heard, he was living under the name of John Thompkins and working as a ranch hand somewhere near Jackson, Wyoming.  She understood the need for the alias since Agent Christopher still hasn’t gotten his record cleaned up, but she couldn’t comprehend the move to Wyoming.  She knows he loves horses, but they have horses and ranches in California too. </p><p>Honestly, she felt like he was running away and abandoning her now that Rittenhouse had been defeated.  Initially, he was very supportive while she tried to acclimate to her post-war reality, but little by little he began to disappear from her life.  Now, he’s the ghost that haunts her every waking hour, as well as the few hours of sleep she may get a night.  Her life feels empty without him to share it with.</p><p>She thought he had fallen in love with her, even though he never spoke the words aloud, but now she’s not so sure.  What she is sure of though, is the fact that she’s very much in love with him and she’s not leaving Wyoming until she tells him.</p><p>It’s a fifteen hour drive to Jackson, but she doesn’t care.  Coffee and granola bars have gotten her more than halfway through, so she’s not stopping now.</p><p>It’s early morning when she arrives in town.  She finds a local diner and stops for more coffee and a bite of actual food.  Then she asks for directions to the New Horizons Ranch.  (Agent Christopher had finally caved and given her the name of the place Flynn was working).</p><p>Once she finds the place, she sits in her car for a few minutes trying to gather up the courage to go and find him.  After a few deep breaths, she opens the door and strolls down the path to the front of the ranch house.</p><p>When she enters the establishment, a middle-aged woman in her fifties greets her.  She rents one of the small cabins on the property so she doesn’t come off as alarming.  No doubt whoever Flynn is working for would have some sort of knowledge that if someone comes looking for him they should be extra-cautious.</p><p>“Can I help you with anything else, Miss?” the woman at the counter asks.</p><p>“Um, yes, I-I hope you can.  I’m looking for a friend of mine that I was told was working here.  His name is Gar-John, John Thompkins.”</p><p>
  <em>Way to go, Lucy!  You almost blew it right away.</em>
</p><p>“And you are?” the woman questions with an attitude.</p><p>She was expecting this in theory, but the tone of the woman’s voice gives her pause.  Perhaps this was a stupid idea.  Perhaps she should just turn around and go home right now.</p><p>“My name is Lucy Preston.”</p><p>“Cabin six.  If he’s not there, try the stables,” the woman responds.</p><p>Lucy takes the key to her own cabin and stuffs it in her jacket pocket before rolling her small suitcase towards the door.  Once outside, she rolls it down the walkway towards the log cabins at the back of the main house.  She stops in front of cabin three and unlocks the door.</p><p>As much as she wants to run directly to cabin six immediately, she needs to gather her thoughts and freshen up before she does.  The cabin is quaint and cozy, complete with a wood-burning stove for warmth and wrought-iron bedframe.  It has a small table and chairs to one side and a tiny bathroom consisting of a toilet and shower stall on the other.  She can easily see how such a Spartan lifestyle would appeal to Flynn.  In some respects, he’s always been a complicated and mysterious man, but in others, he’s really simple.</p><p>She fixes her hair, wraps an elegant scarf around her neck and reapplies her lipstick.  She knows Flynn isn’t superficial like that, but she still wants to look her best when she sees him. </p><p>After she can’t think of another excuse to delay the inevitable, she shrugs on her jacket and exits the cabin.  The view is absolutely spectacular; with majestic, snow-covered mountains off in the distance and pine trees that line the shore of a small lake.  It’s breathtakingly beautiful here and the allure is palpable.  Flynn might not be as easily lured back to San Francisco as she thought.</p><p>Lucy takes another deep breath and wills her feet forward towards cabin number six.  Even though it’s almost midday at this point and the sun is shining brightly, the air is crisp and chilly.  She picks up her pace so that she doesn’t freeze faster than she already is.  Hopefully, Flynn will immediately let her into his cabin and she can begin to thaw out.</p><p>She slows to a crawl when she reaches the walkway to cabin six.  Despite the protestations from her brain that this is a bad idea, her feet shuffle her forward to the front door.  Her knuckles hover an inch away from the door for a few beats before she knocks hesitantly.</p><p>No one answers right away, so she knocks a little bit harder the second time.  She’s about to knock a third time, but the door opens a moment later.  To her utter shock, an attractive woman with long, wavy, blonde hair answers.</p><p>“Can I help you?” the woman asks.</p><p>“Oh, um, I think I might have the wrong cabin.  I was looking for a friend of mine,” she explains.</p><p>And then, she hears that familiar accented voice.</p><p>“Who’s at the door, Hailey?”</p><p>He comes into view over the woman’s shoulder a second later, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white tank top.  Her eyes grow wide as she takes him in.  He’s as handsome as ever, and doesn’t seem to be carrying the worries of war any longer.  His biceps appear to be noticeably bigger, which she suspects is a result of working on the ranch for the past three months.</p><p>Immediately, she assumes the worst and panics.  She’s spins on her heels and makes it halfway through her turn before he calls out to her.</p><p>“Lucy?”</p><p>She stops dead in her tracks and closes her eyes.  A single tear drops down the side of her face.  <em>This was a mistake and she should just go.  He’s clearly moving on with someone else.  She blew her chance.</em> </p><p>She pushes forward, continuing to walk back towards the cabin she rented.  She only makes it a few more steps before his hand grips onto her forearm and swings her back around to face him. </p><p>“Lucy!  What are you doing here and why are you running away?” he asks.</p><p>He’s happy to see her if his huge smile is any indication, but there’s something in his eyes that she can’t quite make out.  <em>Is it surprise or guilt?</em></p><p>“I-I-I obviously caught you in the middle of something,” she states with a wave of her hand towards the blonde currently shooting her menacing looks from the front porch of the cabin.</p><p>“What?” he laughs.  “Are you feeling alright?  Lucy, I <em>always</em> have time for you.  You know that,” he replies softly as he takes her hand in his.</p><p>For whatever reason, anger and jealousy overcome her in the next few beats.  It’s completely irrational since they’ve never been anything more than just friends, but she can’t stop herself.</p><p>“Really?  You haven’t seemed to have time for me over the last two weeks, now have you?” she spits as she pulls back her hand and places both of them on her hips.</p><p>She’s acting like a jilted lover who just caught her man running around with another woman and it’s not very becoming at all.</p><p>His entire demeanor changes after she mentions the last two weeks.  He runs his hand through his hair and darts his tongue out slightly.  It’s a telltale sign that he’s nervous.  She really doesn’t want to stick around and hear about the reason for his radio silence.  She’s pretty sure that reason is blonde and standing on the front porch of the cabin.</p><p>“Uh, Lucy, I can explain-”</p><p>“You better!” she quips as she folds her arms across her chest.</p><p>“John!  We need to go!” the blonde hollers from the porch.</p><p>It’s still strange to hear someone refer to him as John.  Apparently, he’s still not used to it either, because he doesn’t acknowledge her; at least at first.  When he finally does turn back to the other woman, he nods his head in agreement before returning his attention to Lucy. </p><p>“Look, um, I will explain everything, but I have to go right now before I ruin Christmas for everyone here.  Please, please don’t leave until we talk.”</p><p>“Fine.  I’m in cabin three,” she answers curtly before storming back down the path towards her cabin.</p><p>“I won’t be long!” he calls out after her.</p><p>She’s so angry right now, she can hardly see straight.  She stomps down the path to her cabin and slams the front door once inside.  She slides down the door until she hits the floor, tears streaming down her face.  Flynn looked conflicted, as if he was torn between her and the other woman.  And, once again, she’s someone’s second choice.  The one person in the world whom she thought would choose her above any others just proved her wrong once again.</p><p>If she wasn’t completely exhausted and spent emotionally, she’d get back in her car and drive home right now.  Instead, she crawls across the floor and uses the bed to pull her body up onto it.  She curls into a ball and cries herself to sleep.</p><p>When she wakes up, she notices that a few hours have already passed.  <em>It won’t take long, huh?</em>  She groans and grumbles, then shoves off from the bed and into the bathroom.  She glances at herself in the mirror and shakes her head.  <em>Why are you always attracted to unavailable men?</em> </p><p>The room phone rings a second later and she rushes out of the bathroom to answer.</p><p>“Flynn?”</p><p>“Uh, no, Miss Preston.  It’s Donna from the front desk.  I just wanted to inform you that Christmas Eve dinner will be served in half an hour.  After dinner is served, the kitchen will be closing for the night so that we can all go to mass at midnight.  We all very much hope you can join us, especially your friend, John, who apologizes that he’s been delayed.”</p><p>Lucy politely accepts the invitation and hangs up the phone.  Even though she’s not really in the mood for company right now, she can no longer ignore the growls emanating from her stomach.</p><p>She decides she’s not going down without a fight, so she changes into her burgundy polka dot dress.  To really knock Flynn’s socks off, (or maybe a cute cowboy if he rejects her once again), she compliments her look with a pair of black cowboy boots and a black cowboy hat.  She reapplies her lipstick, wraps her shawl around her shoulders and grabs her cabin key.  <em>Here goes nothing.</em></p><p>When Lucy arrives at the main house, she’s immediately greeted by Donna, who proceeds to direct her to a table with a couple of cowboys.  She’s really not in the mood to make small talk with strangers right now.  Thankfully, the food is ready a few minutes later, so she has an excuse to get up from the table.  They’re serving the food buffet style, so she chats with the family in front of her as she waits in line.  There’s still no sight of Flynn and now she’s starting to get worried in addition to wanting to kill him.</p><p>She’s halfway done her plate of food when he finally makes his entrance with Hailey by his side.  Their eyes meet across the room for a moment, before he averts them.  <em>He’s never been the one to break eye contact before, so what’s changed?</em>  Lucy turns her attention back to the cowboy sitting across from her.  She’s knows it’s petty, but she wants to see if she can get a rise out of Flynn if she flirts with another man.  Maybe he could use a dose of his own medicine.</p><p>She makes sure she laughs loudly at what the cute cowboy next to her says, but doesn’t glance around to see Flynn’s reaction.  She’s put forth the olive branch already, it’s his turn to reciprocate.</p><p>The next thing she knows, the cowboy next to her gets up to use the men’s room and Flynn slides into his seat a second later.</p><p>“Damn, John.  Did you and Hailey go to Canada to cut down the tree this year?” the cowboy across from her jokes.</p><p>“The truck got a flat on the way back,” Flynn answers curtly.</p><p>The cowboy who was sitting next to her reappears and informs Flynn that he was already sitting there.</p><p>“<em>Not</em> anymore,” Flynn grumbles menacingly.</p><p>“Oh, come on, John!  I’m sure the pretty lady doesn’t want to sit next to your grumpy ass,” the cowboy laughs.</p><p>“The <em>pretty lady</em> has a name.  It’s Lucy.  And, she most certainly does, because she came here to see me,” Flynn snaps.</p><p>She drops her fork loudly on her plate, causing everyone at that table to turn and stare at her.  She glares back at Flynn, letting him know by just one look how truly pissed off she is.</p><p>“I did come to talk to him, but his silence speaks volumes.  So, I’m leaving,” she announces as she stands up abruptly.</p><p>“Lucy, wait!” he pleads as he grabs her forearm.</p><p>“All I’ve done is wait!” she yells as she shakes free of his hold.</p><p>She pivots around towards the door, but the ranch owner, Donna, stops her in her tracks.</p><p>“The only place you’re going, young lady, is outside with the other guests to decorate the tree.”</p><p>“But, but-”</p><p>“No buts!  John will join you in a minute as soon as he’s had a proper meal and then you two lovebirds can work out whatever it is you’re arguing about,” Donna commands.</p><p>Lucy has already learned not to argue with this woman, nor does Donna give her the opportunity to do so.  She practically pushes Lucy out the door, so she follows the other families outside towards a large Christmas tree a few yards from the house.  Bright, colored lights cover it from top to bottom, although they’re unlit at the moment.</p><p>“This is what took me so long today,” a familiar voice explains from behind her.</p><p>She knows it’s him, but she can’t even look at him right now.  She’s been thoroughly thrown off her game since she arrived and was greeted so coldly by him.</p><p>“It’s nice to know I rank just below a pine tree on your list of priorities,” she snaps.</p><p>He breathes out a ragged breath before physically turning her to face him. </p><p>“You <em>know</em> that’s not true, Lucy.”</p><p>He goes on to explain that he had no advanced notice she was coming and that he does have a job to do on the ranch; one of which was procuring a Christmas tree for the guests.</p><p>“I didn’t want to disappoint the kids.  It gives me a great deal of joy watching their faces light up when they see that huge tree and get to decorate it.  Christmas is hard for me, Lucy.  You know that,” he states in a half-whisper.</p><p>She does <em>know</em> that in her head, but her heart hasn’t quite caught up just yet.  She’s just terrified of him disappearing from her life completely.  Even if he doesn’t feel the same as she does, their friendship has been her reliable crutch for so long, she cannot fathom living without it.</p><p>“You’re always a priority for me.  It’s just bad timing,” he adds.</p><p>Bad timing.  Oh, if she had a nickel for every time she heard that in her life.  At this point, her entire existence can be summed up under “bad timing.”</p><p>She’s about to tell him where he can stick his bad timing, when Donna appears in front of her and shoves a box of ornaments into her hands.</p><p>“Here you go.  John can help you put the ornaments on the higher branches.”</p><p>They obviously can’t have this conversation here and now with all this merriment around them, so she decides to throw herself into the Christmas spirit full force.  With the ornament box in hand, she strolls over to the tree and begins hanging them on the branches.  Flynn sidles up next to her and begins hanging some of the ornaments on the higher branches.</p><p>They continue the process in silence, hanging the remainder of the ornaments in their box.  She can feel his eyes on her the entire time, yet she won’t meet them.  If she does, she knows her resolve to yell at him will crumble like a Christmas cookie, since he will inevitably give her that kicked puppy dog look.</p><p>She’s about to suggest they head back to the cabin to talk, when Donna grabs her left hand suddenly.  The entire ranch is forming a circle around the tree.  Flynn grabs her right hand and gives her a little squeeze.  She wants to squeeze his hand back so badly, but then she notices that his right hand is holding Hailey’s, so she doesn’t.</p><p>Donna counts down from ten and then the tree comes to life, its colorful lights and ornaments sparkling in the ebony sky.  She drops his hand as soon as she can, then turns and begins walking back to her cabin without another word.  She shivers as she trudges through the snow back to the cleared path that leads to the cabins. </p><p>Flynn catches up to her a second later and they walk side by side back to her cabin.  Once they get inside, Lucy watches as Flynn throws more wood into the stove in an attempt to quell the frigidness.  She removes and hangs up her coat, then blows on her hands in a vain effort to warm them.  Flynn, on the other hand, doesn’t bother to take off his coat.  Instead, he just removes his cowboy hat and takes a seat at the small table.  <em>Guess he doesn’t plan on staying that long.</em></p><p>Lucy wants to sit down and have a conversation like a civilized adult, but she’s so full of frustration and pent up rage, that she paces around the small cabin instead.  There’s a palpable tension in the air between them as thick as pea soup.  Neither one seems as if they want to begin the conversation, so Lucy gives him a minute.  She knows once she starts talking, or most likely yelling, that she’s not going to stop any time soon.</p><p>After a few more beats of uncomfortable silence, Flynn opens his mouth.</p><p>“So…what possessed you to get in your car and drive all this way?”</p><p>She glares back at him, then counts to three in her head before answering.</p><p>“It’s been two weeks since we’ve spoken and you weren’t returning my calls or texts!  Sue me if I was worried about you!” she shrieks.</p><p>He reminds her that he’s quite capable of taking care of himself and she really shouldn’t worry about him, which only furthers Lucy’s incredulity. </p><p>“Damn it, Flynn!  I <em>know</em> you can take care of yourself.  I’m not trying to <em>mother</em> you.  It’s just-you straight up pulled a disappearing act that even Houdini would be proud of!  I’m-I’m just trying to figure out what I did.”</p><p>His expression changes in an instant.  The cold, gruff exterior he had been wearing melts away to regret, concern, and dare she say, shame.</p><p>“Lucy.”</p><p>She shakes her head no and continues to pace in front of him like a caged tigress.  She’s gone over the last few months in her head ad nauseam at this point, searching for that one clue she missed, or statement she made to cause him to basically abandon her.</p><p>“You’re my best friend, Garcia.  Of course I care about your well-being.”</p><p>The next thing she knows, he rises to his feet and closes the space between them in one long stride.  He takes her hands into his and squeezes lightly.</p><p>“You did nothing wrong; nothing at all.  I-I just decided it might be best for your life post-Rittenhouse if I wasn’t there to constantly remind you of all you’ve lost.  This way, you can move on to whatever greatness the world has in store for the marvelous Miss Preston,” he states with a devilish smirk.</p><p>She honestly cannot believe the words that are escaping his mouth right now.  <em>He decided?  What about what she wants and needs?  Shouldn’t she have been the one to decide?</em></p><p>“Shouldn’t I have a say in all this?” she shrieks in disbelief.</p><p>He seems genuinely taken aback by her rage, unable to comprehend the depths of this wound he’s carving into her heart. </p><p>“Lucy, it-it wasn’t an easy decision for me to make.  I’m sure someone like me is the last thing you need after everything you’ve been through.”</p><p>She’s more confused than ever right now.  <em>What the hell is he talking about?</em></p><p>“Someone like you?  What, someone who is a good listener, loyal, intelligent-”</p><p>He shakes his head vehemently and cuts her off with a firm “no.”</p><p>“I-I don’t understand,” she admits.</p><p>“A broken person, Lucy,” he whispers.</p><p>She can see he’s trying to hold back the tears.  In that split second, he morphs back into the old Flynn; the man so broken and twisted up inside that he almost murdered a child.  She has no clue where this is coming from.  She hasn’t seen this version of him since before he moved into the bunker.</p><p>She wriggles her hands from his and brings them up to cup his face.</p><p>“You’re not broken, Garcia.”</p><p>He closes his eyes and leans into her touch as a single tear streams down the side of his cheek.</p><p>“You’re amazing,” she whispers as she goes up on her tiptoes.</p><p>Their foreheads press together and their lips are inches apart, when suddenly, there’s a loud knock at her cabin door.  Every instinct within her is screaming to ignore the knock and kiss him passionately.  Then she hears Hailey’s voice calling out for him and she pulls away slightly. </p><p>Another knock on the door solidifies her complete retreat from his presence.</p><p>“John?  John, are you in there?  We’re going to be late for Midnight Mass,” Hailey calls out.</p><p>Flynn appears torn between responding to Hailey and continuing whatever this is between the two of them.  Unfortunately, she doesn’t give him the opportunity to make a decision.  She darts towards the door and flings it open with authority, glaring daggers at the woman standing before her. </p><p>She’s about to inform Hailey that he’s otherwise engaged right now, but Flynn quickly appears behind her and tells Hailey he’ll meet her there.  The woman nods her head, then disappears back down the path.</p><p>Flynn closes the door and spins Lucy around to face him.</p><p>“I <em>am </em>broken, Lucy.  You said so yourself,” he mutters.</p><p>“But that was-”</p><p>“I know this is hard for you to understand, but I feel a little less broken here.  I think-I think it’s for the best if we both just go on with our lives,” he advises in a half-whisper.</p><p>She can’t believe the words that are coming out of his mouth right now.  She knows she previously said those words to him, but they no longer apply and haven’t for a long time.  He has come so far dealing with his grief and rage over this past year or so.  Now, just like everyone else in her life, he’s leaving her to face the uncertainty of life after Rittenhouse on her own.  She doesn’t think she can do it.  She needs him in her life and he’s being so obstinate about it she wants to strangle him right now. </p><p>He checks his watch a moment later, which only serves to boil her blood even further.  She spins on her heels, grabs her suitcase from the closet, and begins shoving her clothes and toiletries back inside with an exaggerated flair. </p><p>“What-what are you doing?” he asks with bewilderment.</p><p>She doesn’t even stop her frenzied packing or meet his eyes when she responds.  It hurts too much and the tears have already begun to fall down her face.</p><p>“I’m doing what you want.  I’m leaving!”</p><p>“Lucy, I-”</p><p>“Get out!” she hisses.  “Get out of my cabin and run to your little girlfriend.  It’s what you want to do anyway!”</p><p>“Hailey’s not my girlfriend.”</p><p>“I don’t really care anymore, Flynn.  Leave!” she screams as she angrily points to the door.</p><p>Flynn lowers his head and hides his eyes under the brim of his hat.  He hovers at the threshold, then mumbles something incoherently before exiting the cabin.</p><p>Lucy collapses onto the floor the second the door shuts, her body quivering as the tears stream unabated down her cheeks.  Heartbroken doesn’t even seem to cover how she feels right now.  She’s shattered into a thousand shards, hopelessly drifting out to sea with no life preserver.  It’s worse than almost drowning all those years ago.</p><p>She cries until there’s nothing left in her, then picks herself up off the wooden floor.  Since there’s no use in prolonging the inevitable, she packs the remainder of her belongings and heads out towards the main house to check out of her cabin. </p><p>Once she’s in the main ranch house, she finds Donna behind the desk watching <em>‘A Christmas Story’</em> on the TV.  She would prefer to check out without dealing with her, but no such luck.</p><p>“Oh, my.  Sweetheart, what can I help you with?” Donna asks with an expression of concern across her face.</p><p>“I need to check out,” Lucy states as she slams the cabin key onto the counter.</p><p>“You sure about that sweetheart?  I’ve known John for three months now and I’ve never seen him happier than when he was looking at you.”</p><p>She shakes her head in the affirmative, silently praying she can get out of here before she breaks down into hysterics again. </p><p>“He wants me to leave.  So, I am,” she replies softly as she turns towards the front door.</p><p>“John’s a stubborn man; a stubborn man very much in love with you.  You should fight for what you want, my dear,” Donna advises.</p><p>Lucy thanks Donna for her hospitality, then files out the door and loads her suitcase into her car.  She makes it halfway towards the highway, before she pulls over and cries once more. </p><p>After a few more minutes, Donna’s words ring true in Lucy’s ear.  She <em>should</em> fight for what she wants.  And, what she wants is Garcia Flynn.</p><p>She makes a U-turn and heads back towards the town.  As she comes around a corner, she spots the small, white church up ahead.  <em>Midnight Mass.  He said he was going to Midnight Mass.</em>  She glances down at her wrist and sees it’s already 1:10 a.m.  <em>Perhaps she can catch Flynn as he’s leaving the church.</em></p><p>She parks her car along the road, then hurriedly crosses the street and strolls to the church steps.  She stands there in the freezing cold, blowing periodically onto her hands in a vain effort to keep them warm.  She watches and watches as family after family file out of the church, but still no Garcia.  <em>Maybe he never went after their fight.  Maybe he’s back in his cabin at the ranch.</em></p><p>With no other people exiting the church, she’s about to turn around and sprint back to her car, when for some reason she has a compulsion to go inside.  Call it divine intervention or fate, whatever it is it compels her up the stairs and through the front door. </p><p>Once inside, she finds a dimly lit sanctuary that is completely deserted save one individual.  There, sitting in the front pew and staring straight ahead towards the altar is the man she’s been looking for. </p><p>She’s about to make her presence known, when suddenly Flynn begins to speak aloud.</p><p>“Heavenly Father, I know pushing Lucy away was the right thing to do, but then why do I feel so awful about it?  She’s so amazing and will undoubtedly do great things with the rest of her life.  I can offer her nothing.  All I will do is hold her back and I can’t-I can’t bear that responsibility.”</p><p>He pauses slightly, then says something that tears her heart in two.</p><p>“I know she will survive without me, but I don’t know if I will without her,” he states with a muffled cry.</p><p>Everything inside her is screaming to run to him and tell him how wrong he really is.  She’s about to do just that when her clumsiness betrays her once more.  Her foot catches on one of the edges of the pew and the sound echoes throughout the sanctuary. </p><p>Flynn turns around at the noise and their eyes lock.  The confusion is evident on his tear-stained face, yet his feet shuffle towards her nonetheless.  Lucy takes a few tentative steps of her own before sprinting down the aisle and flinging herself at him.  Reflexively, Flynn wraps his arms around her body and pulls her flush against him. </p><p>“Lucy, what-”</p><p>She doesn’t give him time to finish his question.  She leans in and presses her lips to his.  He freezes momentarily before kissing her back, which elicits an audible sigh of relief from Lucy.</p><p>He pulls back after a few seconds, his hands cradling the sides of her cheeks as he gazes deep into her eyes. </p><p>“You’re wrong about…<em>everything</em>,” Lucy begins.  “I <em>do</em> need you.  You’re my best friend, Garcia.  I miss you.  I miss our late-night talks about anything and everything.  I don’t sleep well without you by my side.  We’re supposed to be quite the team, remember?”</p><p>“Lucy, I-”</p><p>“I wanna be the love of your life, Garcia Flynn, because you’re definitely the love of mine,” she confesses before kissing him once again. </p><p>This kiss is much more passionate than the first and there is no hesitation on his part this time. </p><p>Once they finally come up for necessary air, he brushes some errant strands of hair from her face and tucks them behind her ear.</p><p>“Are you-do you really-”</p><p>“I never meant to fall in love with you.  I just did,” she clarifies.  “But, I am <em>very</em> much, <em>completely</em>, <em>totally</em> in love with you.”</p><p>She peppers his mouth with little kisses, allowing his brain a few moments to let everything she said sink in.  She knows it has when he squeezes her body even tighter.</p><p>“You don’t have to <em>want</em> to be the love of my life, Lucy.  You already are.”</p><p> </p>
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